The Immunomicroscopy Core will consist of a state-of- the-art fluorescence imaging unit, a laser dissection microscope system, and equipment for preparing specimens including a cryostat and microtome. It will be supervised by the director, who will be responsible for training the senior research assistant and assuring its quality control. The Core will be used to define immune responses to Francisella tulerensis infection with time, as well as aid in the discovery of molecules involved in virulence such as sensitivity to intramacrophage survival and resistance to antimicrobial peptides. Analyses will be done in situ with tissues as well as at the level of single cells. As such, it will play a critical role in successfully completing the long-term goals of this Program Project: Tularemia: Pathogenesis and Host Response